Over the years, Albert Hammond’s ‘The Air That I Breathe’ has been recorded by numerous artists. The Hollies’ recording from 1974 remains its most famous incarnation, but dig through the archives and you’ll discover other notable versions from Dana Gillespie, Judy Collins, AOR band Alien, Olivia Newton-John, Swedish pop band The Tuesday Girls (latterly The Tuesdays), and even Hank Williams, Jr. It seems to be one of those tracks that never really goes away, but few have breathed as much new life into this well worn number than pop-prog collective Chimpan A.
Tag Archives: pop rock
THE BLACK KEYS – No Rain, No Flowers
The Black Keys’ thirteenth studio album ‘No Rain, No Flowers’ finds Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney taking a massive musical detour. The bulk of the material finds the duo in a light mood, from a musical perspective. There are a few recognisable guitar lines along the way; a familiar sounding musical hook or two, but in the main, the album stands as their grand adult pop-rock opus. Part of this shift will be, no doubt, due to enlisting pop producer Rick Nowels for both musical and technical duties, along with other collaborators from outside of the garage rock and blues field. This isn’t a move that’s likely to please some of their hardcore fans, but it could win them new supporters on this leg of their already long journey since, although very little of ‘No Rain’ sounds like classic Black Keys – at least on the surface – its songs are brilliantly arranged, and some of the “poppier” elements show off a great finesse.
PUSH PUPPETS – Tethered Together
Chicago’s Push Puppets are a pop rock band who think a little bigger than most. There are moments during their second album ‘Tethered Together’ that hark back to the alternative boom of the 90s, moments that celebrate power pop, and there’s even a touch of melodic prog within some of the guitar work. It’s to main man Erich Specht’s credit that he has the creative vision to make everything fit together so well, but since he’s given sole credit for writing the songs and creating the album’s string arrangements, alongside being the band’s vocalist and guitarist, and being the co-producer of this record, he obviously has a very clear understanding of the direction he wishes the music to take, despite everything being drawn from different influences. What this creates, of course, is the kind of album that encourages its audience to listen closely.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #116
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past couple of weeks. This time out, we’ve got something folk based with a strong 60s vibe, some well crafted pop with strong harmonies, and some dark alt-country. There’s also something with a twist of alternate pop, and a 90s influenced rocker that makes the best of a classic sounding riff. As usual, we hope the variety offers something of interest for many of our visitors and that you find something new to enjoy.
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CHIMPAN A – Saviour / Wichita Lineman
In April 2025, pop proggers Chimpan A (featuring Magenta’s Robert Reed and an assortment of musical friends) released a superb version of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Here Comes The Flood’. It managed to be reverential of the original recording whilst bringing a new slant via a modern production sound, and also shared a downtempo feel that felt half a world away from the ex-Genesis man’s musical interests. Coupled with the self-penned ‘Wolves’, the release marked a great return for the band after a few years away. This second two track release follows the same format – a Chimpan A original, joined by a well known tune sourced from the band’s many influences – and achieves a similarly impressive result.